The Outcast
by OneHitCracker
Summary: Jake Hellden had a good life. Something changed that, and he won't forget it. This story is very dark, so tread lightly. Rated M for absolutely everything.
1. Chapter 1

Hello **peeps!**

 **Well, first of all, welcome to my new story _The Outcast._ I've been pondering the idea of this story for awhile now. I figured I should just put up a short introduction to the story to see if people are interested and want to see more of it. It's going to be like the other story, _Dim Light_ , where I put up the first chapter just as a small introduction, and then the later chapters will be longer, naturally. Like I said, though, this is just to get you into the idea of what the story is about before we get into the big part of the story. Just to make things clear, by the time the events of this story begin, Nick and Judy are already in a relationship. They already know they love each other, they live together. _Blah Blah Blah!_ **

**So anyway, I'll shut up and let you read chapter 1 of _The Outcast._**

 **Enjoy!**

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 **Chapter 1: Introduction**

 _Nick POV_

Well, nothing like midnight patrol, always so _exciting!_ That was sarcasm, if you couldn't tell. Midnight patrol is actually most likely the worst thing that ever happened to this world. Nothing interesting ever happens. _Ever._

Judy and I were called in for a midnight patrol roughly two hours after we had returned home from our fucking _day_ shift. When Judy got the call to come in again, I was pissed, to say the least. I was looking for a peaceful Friday, relaxing at home with Judy. What did I get? _Midnight patrol._

I scoffed, my own thoughts disgusting me.

"Say Judes, when we get back home, you wanna... I don't know... have a _special_ evening?", I asked with a smug grin.

" _Nicholas!_ ", She exclaimed, blushing crimson beneath her beautiful blue-gray fur.

I chuckled loudly," I'm just letting ya know, Carrots. The offer is _on_ the table."

She tried her best to look mad, I could tell, but she eventually giggled.

She seemed to shrug off that whole little thing, because her eyes widened, and she pointed her finger out the windshield of the patrol car.

She spoke softly in awe," Nicky! Nicky, look at that!"

I averted my gaze to see what she was talking about, and my eyes spotted a streak of white light, quickly zip from the sky, to the ground in no time at all.

"What... the... hell...?", I muttered to myself.

I thought it was a meteor at first, but no, meteors don't move that fast, and I'm pretty sure they don't move in a direct path like that. No, that had to be something else. Maybe a satellite crashed? Maybe it was a government experiment?

All of a sudden our radio clicked on, and Clawhauser's voice came through.

" _Uh, hey guys! Did you happen to see that streak of light descend into the city?"_ , his enthusiastic voice spoke.

I picked up the radio and replied," Yeah, what about it?"

Clawhauser spoke again," _Well, you see. Chief Bogo wants you guys to check it out."_

I groaned, really unwilling to comply, but I answered," Yeah, tell him we'll be right on it."

I silenced the radio and looked at Judy, I spoke," Well, let's go, I guess."

She sighed softly and muttered," Which way?"

"That way!"

 _Jake POV_

Ugh, my head.

Everything's dark, and I feel like I'm falling.

 _Where am I?_ I thought to myself.

I felt myself on a cold metal floor, my hands gripping the nearest thing that I could on to. The falling sensation continued.

I couldn't remember how I ended up in here. I vaguely remember some crazy guy shoving me in here and pressing a bunch of buttons, but I can't remember anything other than that. Except for the important information, of course.

Suddenly, the falling sensation came to an abrupt end, but there was no crash. It just gently eased off, weird.

I felt around the walls of the vessel, hoping to find a door or a hatch or something. After a few moments, my hands came into contact with what felt like a door latch. I grabbed tight and pushed it to the side. Then, suddenly, the door shot off of the vessel. I crawled up and out of the doorway. It was nighttime, but I didn't know where I was. I didn't know where my mom or dad were. They were probably worried about me. I looked around and saw that I was standing right outside a city with huge skyscrapers. I figured maybe there was someone there who can help me. Then, out of nowhere, a car's headlights appeared in the distance.

 _Hmm. Maybe they can help me._ I thought.

I would've waved the car down, but it was already heading straight towards me. That's when I got a little scared. I quickly dove behind the vessel, hoping that they wouldn't see me. I heard the car progressively get closer and closer, until finally, it stopped not 20 feet from the vessel. I heard two car doors open and close.

Then, I heard two voices engage in conversation. I couldn't make out what they were saying at all.

Suddenly, one of there voices rang out," HELLO?! IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?!"

Then the other one yelled," PLEASE, COME OUT! DON'T BE AFRAID! WE'RE POLICE OFFICERS."

Wait, did he just say... _police officers_?

Yes! Police officers will be able to help me find my parents.

I slowly and cautiously stepped out from behind the vessel to see to figures looking back at me.

"Judy, turn the headlights off.", one of them commanded.

The smaller one obeyed and ran to the driver's side of the car, and suddenly, the car's headlights went dark, and I could clearly see the two figures. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped in shock at the sight of them. This might sound crazy, but the first one that I looked at, it was a _fox_ , staring me right in the eyes. This fox was standing on two legs instead of all-fours. He was dressed in, _people clothes_. My gaze then averted to his partner, and I nearly fainted from shock, it was a _bunny_. These animals were walking and talking, just like _people_.

 _This is insane! This has to be a dream._ I thought reassuringly.

The fox stepped forward and spoke," Uh, hey there. I'm Officer Wilde, and this is Officer Hopps. Are you lost, son?"

I backed away as the fox stepped forward. He was bigger than I was, effectively making me think that he was going to eat me if he got ahold of me.

"I don't think I'm lost, I think I'm dreaming", I said flatly.

Officer 'Wilde' stepped forward some more and gave a reassuring smile," I'm sorry to say that you aren't dreaming, bud, but I can assure you, we aren't here to hurt you, we're here to help you. After all, we are police officers."

The bunny stepped forward along with him now, and she began speaking as well," Why don't you come with us, and we'll help you find your parents, okay?"

My dad always told me to never disrespect an adult, but I wasn't sure if these adults were even _real_ , so I saw no harm.

"Why would I go with _you_? You aren't even real!.", I near shouted at the animals.

The fox began to move closer to me, and I kept backing away, becoming progressively more scared.

I shouted at him," NO! STAY BACK! DON"T HURT ME! PLEASE!"

I was now crying, trying to back away from the animal. I quickly turned away, getting ready to run, when I tripped on a piece of debris from the vessel, and fell into a small divet in the ground. The fox was suddenly upon me, staring down at me with emerald eyes. I could not escape, all I could do was cower and sob under his shadow.

He leaned down and patted my shoulder, much to my surprise. I looked up at him, and he was smiling.

"Don't worry, kid. I swear we aren't going to hurt you. We wanna help you, but to do that, you've gotta cooperate with us, okay?"

I nodded slowly to him, and he nodded back. He offered his paw to me, and I _very_ cautiously took it. He grasped my hand and pulled me out of the small divet.

He spoke with that same reassuring tone again," Now, would you like to come with us so that we can help you find your parents?"

I nodded to him again. He smiled and put his paw on shoulder, guiding me to the police car that they had arrived in. The bunny came over and opened the door for me with a warm smile. She was about the same height as me, but she looked much stronger, so I probably shouldn't try to struggle away from her. I hopped into the backseat of the police car and put the seatbelt on.

"So, kid. Some basic info we need to find your parents, One: What's your name?"

I looked at the fox and answered him honestly," My name is Jacob Hellden, sir."

He nodded and asked another question," How old are you, Jacob?"

I answered again," I'm nine, sir."

He smiled and asked a question that didn't make sense to me," What's your species?"

I stared in confusion," _Species_?"

He gave the same confused look back," Yeah, species. What kind of animal are you?"

I understood now, and once again, I answered honestly.

"I'm a Human, sir."

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 **There we go then!**

 **So, the official introduction to _The Outcast_. Did you like it? If so, please follow/favorite the story, as each and every one are greatly appreciated. Also, if you have any feedback, feel free to give it to me. All feedback is accepted, noted, and greatly appreciated as well.**

 **So, that does it for the intro. Chapter 2 coming soon!**

 **So if you'll excuse me, I have to pour liquid nitrogen on my fingers.**

 **OneHit, Out!**


	2. Chapter 2: Hell to come, Heaven to wait

**Yo dudes.**

 **Top of the mornin' to ya! We have finally a new chapter for _The Outcast_. Sorry it took so long to get this to you guys, but I've been busy, like _really_ busy. I was seriously at an airsoft game for 3 fucking days. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, it was just _long_. So yeah, that's why I haven't updated in 5 days I think.**

 **So, let us further the plot of _The Outcast_.**

 **Enjoy!**

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 **Chapter 2: Hell to come, Heaven to wait**

 _ **Jake POV**_

When is death acceptable? We go through our whole lives fearing death, when, sometimes, death fears us. Some of us do anything it takes to ensure ourselves 'invincible' when nobody actually is. Some of us take longer to begin the journey of life than others. For instance, the more privileged go through life with no worries, no fears of death, but death is always silently watching, waiting, like a ghost in the shadows. Some of us choose to fear death, and some of us take the long and lonely journey to become death ourselves.

This was the beginning of my journey.

I felt the leather lined seat that I was sitting in, and even though the seat wasn't really uncomfortable, that didn't stop me from feeling that way. I looked out the window of the moving vehicle to see us coming upon the city I saw in the distance earlier.

I noticed that the city's buildings kind of reminded me of Dubai, a city I learned about in school, but the atmosphere of the place was more like New York.

We entered the city and the first thing I noticed about the other animals, is they stare, a lot. We were passing through the streets of a bustling district in the city. Animals were staring at me with confused, frightened, and even _angry_ expressions. I guess they thought I was being arrested. I turned my head away from the windows and the staring faces, as tears began to well up in my eyes.

This was all still so confusing.

 _Where am I? Why am I here? I want to go home!_ I thought silently to myself.

I began to sob softly in the backseat of the police vehicle, and apparently, the fox heard me. I was sure I had made it quiet enough for neither of them to hear, but then I remembered, while facepalming that they were animals, and they had a better sense of hearing than humans.

"Kid? Are you okay?", He asked me with genuine concern in his voice.

I took a few moments to think about the question, and decided to answer honestly, I burst out," No! I'm not okay! Nothing about _any_ of this is okay!"

I looked the fox in the eyes to find that he was gazing at me with empathy and a little bit of sorrow.

I continued," I don't know where I am, I don't know how I got here, and I'm being taken to _god knows where_ by a _fox_ and a _freaking bunny_!"

I broke down and tears began to flow freely down my face.

Officer Wilde simply said," Kid, we're taking you to a place where you can get help, don't worry."

I didn't ease up at his words, not in the least. I continued to sob uncontrollably in absolute longing and confusion.

 _ **Judy POV**_

I listened to Jacob's sobs and I felt absolutely terrible. He had no clue where his parents were, so we needed to help him. I could never stand to hear a child cry. It just made me feel awful.

Nick was busy trying to comfort him as he cried, but to no avail. This kid is probably scared, confused, frustrated, so this was a normal response.

We continued down the streets of Savannah Central toward the ZPD, which was less than a mile away by now. I watched the mammals as we passed by them, giving disgusted looks to Jacob.

I sped up, sickened by mammal's views. Most mammal's in society judged others before they got the chance to even know them. They just judged based on appearances, and that was it, couldn't care less about personality, just what you look like. These facts about modern society made me sick to my stomach.

We arrived at the station at around 1:00 am.

I drove the cruiser into the station's garage and parked it. I turned off the vehicle and opened the door, hopping out (no pun intended). I ran around to the side Jacob was on to see Nick already getting him out. The kid was shaking as he got out. He looked around his new surroundings, and then his gaze returned to Nick and I.

Nick was the first to speak," Uh, come on kid. We gotta go in."

Jacob nodded and followed us into the police station. We opened the door that went from the garage into the station and let him in. He walked through the door and looked around, taking in the environment of the building.

I tapped him on the shoulder and gestured for him to follow, he obliged. We led him further into the station to find Clawhauser half-asleep on his desk.

He perked up at the sight of us and exclaimed," Judy! Nick! Hey guys! How'd the investigation go?"

Nick gestured toward Jacob," See for yourself!"

Clawhauser squealed excitedly," Oh my god! There was a kid there? That's so _weird_!"

Nick and I nodded and Clawhauser continued," Anyway, Chief Bogo says he wants to see you guys when you get back. He said report _directly_ to his office."

I nodded and replied," Thanks, Ben. We'll talk to you later."

The chubby cheetah agreed and we made our way to Chief Bogo's office.

 ** _Jake POV_**

Okay, so turns out that this Chief Bogo guy is a _hell_ of a lot scarier than his name portrays. He's like, a one-ton freaking buffalo. His voice is wicked deep and he has an English accent.

We walked into his office and first thing I hear is," Wilde. Hopps. Report please."

I was instantly scared by the voice I heard, and when I stepped into the office, I near had a heart attack. The guy was _huge_.

The buffalo averted his gaze to me the second I walked in, and then directed itself back at Officer Wilde and Hopps.

" Uh... care to explain?", He asked them.

Officer Hopps nodded and answered," We found this child by the crash site of what looked to be some kind of, _pod._ He was alone and afraid, and we decided to take him here to see if he can be helped."

Chief Bogo sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge between his eyes for a few moments before responding," We can, _but_ , we can't do it for a couple days, as our investigation team is out working on another case in the rainforest district till Monday."

Nick's eyes widened and he questioned," Then, what are we going to do till then?"

Bogo gave a frustrated grunt and shot back," I'm getting to that, Wilde!"

The buffalo calmed himself down before speaking again," You two could take him for the weekend until the team comes back, and then we can take him from there."

The two looked rather shocked at his suggestion and Officer Wilde replied," What, you mean like... take care of him over the weekend?"

The buffalo nodded and Officer Wilde smiled slightly," We'd be happy to sir!"

That's when I was shocked, that answer hit me like a bullet. My eyes widened and I fumbled over my words," W-What?!"

Officer Hopps directed her gaze at me and answered," You'll be staying at our place for the weekend."

I backed away, growing frightened of that idea," Wait, why? Can't I just sleep on a bench on the street or something?"

Officer Wilde fixed me with a surprised glare," What kind of mammals would we be if we just let you do that?"

I answered half truthfully, half sarcastically," Ones that aren't _technically_ kidnapping me."

The two officers exchanged an amused glance. Officer Wilde spoke again," Kid, listen, we're just trying to make sure you get back to your parents, _safe_."

I was reluctant to agree, but I did," Okay... fine. I'll go with you."

Both officers smiled and gestured for me to follow. They both bid the chief farewell and brought me back out of his office and down some stairs. I followed them back through the common area and out the front doors of the station. We moved outside and I noticed only a few cars in the parking lot. Probably because it's like 2:00 am. We moved toward one vehicle that looked like any normal civilian car. They led me to the backseats of the car and opened the door on the driver's side for me. I climbed into the vehicle and settled into the seat. Officer Wilde got into the passenger seat, while Officer Hopps jumped into the driver's. She started up the car and I felt it come to life.

She backed out of the space we were in and pulled out of the station's parking lot. We were only on the road for a minute when my eyes started to feel heavy. I rested my head on the back of my seat, to tired to think anymore, and let sleep take me away.

 ** _Nick POV_**

 _Ah, here we are._ I thought as we arrived at our apartment building.

" This is us, kid", I stated to the child in the backseat.

Silence.

" Kid?"

More silence.

I turned to the back to see Jacob, peacefully asleep.

I smiled. I always loved the sight of sleeping children. It just filled me with joy, I don't know why.

Judy spoke up," Looks like _someone_ was tired."

I chuckled at her statement as I opened my door, and got out. I padded around to his door and opened it as quietly as I could. I reached over and unbuckled his seatbelt before taking him in my arms, and picking him up. He was heavy, but he wasn't _staggeringly_ heavy. I carried him with relative ease.

Judy saw me and giggled quietly before uttering," I guess we should take him inside."

I nodded and we headed inside our apartment building. We made our way to the elevator, and caught it just as someone was stepping out. It was a coyote who spotted us, and seemed startled by what he saw. He cautiously walked around us, never taking his eyes off of Jacob.

I glared at the coyote, who still looked freaked out by Jacob, and he quickly turned away.

We stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to our floor. I felt the ground move beneath me as the elevator began to rise. After a few seconds, the elevator stopped and opened. We moved into the hallway of our floor and quickly, but quietly walked to our apartment.

Judy fumbled with the keys for a moment before she finally jammed it in and opened up the door. I brought Jacob inside and carried him over to the couch. I lay him down across the soft cushions.

" So, Carrots, should we force him to sleep here, or let him sleep in the bed?", I asked Judy, non-jokingly.

Judy rubbed her cheek as she thought for a moment before her gaze locked with mine and she responded," I'm not sure. Why don't we ask him?"

I hesitantly nodded and crept back over to the kid, and nudged him in an attempt to wake him. He stirred, and after a moment, opened his eyes. His gaze soon locked with mine.

Then he gasped in surprise and backed away from me.

I attempted to calm him," Woah, Woah, kid calm down, it's me!"

He seemed to calm himself a little before murmuring," Okay, sorry."

I sighed, relieved that he wasn't as afraid of me anymore," Listen, bud. Do you want to sleep out here on the couch, or on the bed? Because we only have one bed."

He seemed to think about this for a moment before he came up with an answer," I'll sleep here, thanks."

I nodded at his response. Granted I wanted him to be comfortable, I wanted to respect his wishes as well.

" Okay, bud well have a good night", I said with a warm smile, and I patted him on the shoulder.

To my _great surprise_ , he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around my torso in a hug.

He then muttered," Thank you for helping me."

I smiled and returned the hug while responding," It's our pleasure, kid."

Judy was beaming at me when I turned to her. A big happy grin plastered on her face.

"Yeah, totally our pleasure", she agreed, still smiling widely.

 _ **Jake POV**_

I let go of Officer Wilde and the fox smiled warmly at me before I lay down and begin to settle down again.

I heard the pair walk quietly into their bedroom and close the door. I then felt something... _different_ about them. I felt like they really cared, and from the way they were treating this whole thing, it wasn't a job to them, it was an opportunity. I'm really good at reading people, in this case, _animals_. I guess I had finally decided on whether or not I liked this pair, and I guess I finally decided that, in fact, I _do_ like them, because I feel deep inside me that these two are going to play a big role in my life.

I soon begin to feel my body drift away, and sleep take me into it's depths.

I soon opened my eyes to find myself on the sidewalk of what appeared to be the same city.

I look down the street and, much to my surprise, see a burning building, with the bodies of animals littering the ground in front of it.

I then look farther up to see... _me_ , standing there, in front of the blazing structure. I looked older, probably sixteen or seventeen, with sunglasses over my eyes, and a gun in one hand. I could also see what appeared to be a sword sheathed on my back.

Then, I looked as a rabbit and a fox, a _vixen_ to be more precise, both appearing to be about the same age as me, walked up and stood beside me.

Then, older me raised his hand toward me and motioned for me to come to him. I obliged and walked cautiously toward the trio, taking slow and careful steps so as to not step in one of the many puddles of blood that were spread across the ground.

Soon I stood right in front of myself, who looked down at me and gave the slightest of smiles.

" You chose the right path", he spoke with a serious tone.

Then he reached down and grabbed my hand. I felt a searing pain in my chest and suddenly...

I woke up.

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 **Wowza.**

 **Hey guys! So, that was very interesting to write, because I felt all these ideas going through my head at once. It was so hard to choose just one. There is so many places that this story can go from here. Of course, I can only choose one path. That doesn't mean that that one path won't be a good one, it just means that it's gonna be the ONLY ONE. So yeah, if that helps you understand my conflict.**

 **So anyway, if you enjoyed, please follow/favorite the story, I love each and every one that I get. And of course, leave a review if you have _any_ feedback _at all._ All feedback is greatly appreciated as it helps me become a better writer.**

 **So like I said, hope you enjoyed, and I will update this story again very soon!**

 **Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to buy some new fingers off of Amazon.**

 **OneHit, Out!**


	3. Chapter 3: New Warmth

**Ello mates!**

 **Time for new chapters and stuff. I've become hooked to this story and there's like so many ideas running through my head over and over about it. If anyone was looking for another update on _Dim_ _Light_ , then I assure you, that's gonna be next! I've just grown really hooked to this story and I want to see where I can take it. To be honest, this story is more than likely going to turn out to be quite dark later on. This chapter is probably where all the bad content shit is gonna start. I'm going to try to make it so that you have extreme feels while reading this. One more thing: I'm gonna start putting quotes into my chapters, ones that have meaning to the story. Read them, please, they're important.**

 **So yeah, lets destroy my new set of fingers with chapter 3 of _The Outcast_.**

 **E** **njoy!**

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 _"The two most important days of our lives is the day we are born, and the day we find out why._ " -Mark Twain

 **Chapter 3: New Warmth**

 ** _Jake POV_**

Life was granted to me almost ten years ago, and I still have yet to find out why, what my purpose is. I used to feel that we are put onto this earth for no specific reason, but I've grown past that foolish belief. I now believe that everyone has a purpose. Everyone has a destiny. What is mine? To this day I could not give you an answer. I figured before that I must be here for a great cause. But when we look inside ourselves to find our own destiny, we see nothing. Destiny is not something you can see, it is just something that happens. You have no control over it, or at least, that's what I used to think, but now I understand that everyone has multiple paths that they can take. Multiple ways to overcome obstacles, and survive the cruel game of life.

It's a long road ahead, but in the end, I'll show them all.

I awoke to find a blinding light in my eyes. The windows were open in the room I was in.

 _Wait, room? What the heck?_ I mumbled to myself as I checked my surroundings.

This was _not_ home. I searched around frantically trying to find anything familiar. _Nothing._

 _No_. I thought, _No, this has to be a nightmare!_

I hit myself on the head in an attempt to wake up from this terrible fate. I was away from my parents, my friends, my brother.

I hit myself repeatedly, trying to snap back to reality.

"Wake up. Come on! WAKE UP!", I shouted as I hit myself over and over.

Then, I realized it wasn't a dream. I was actually gone. Somewhere far, far away from everyone I'd known my whole life.

I broke down, letting out loud sobs as I crumpled to the floor and let my head fall into my hands. I fell apart right there, in that strange place, no set distance from where I truthfully live.

I then heard footsteps moving down the hallway, towards me. I dove behind a bookshelf in the living room of the apartment. I peeked around the corner to see Officer Wilde emerge from the hallway.

"Jacob? Are you in here?", He called out, glancing around the room.

He then saw that I was missing and began to frantically search everywhere. He seemed quite panic-driven. I felt bad for causing him so much worry, but I nonetheless continued to debate on whether to come out or not.

This couple had been good to me. They didn't hurt me, they didn't call me a freak or stare at me. No, they gave me help. They brought me to the police station, they got a team of researchers on my case, and to top it all off, they allowed me into their _home_. Me. A strange kid from a place that they wouldn't be able to comprehend. Into their home.

I decided to come out from my hiding place, I owed them that much.

"I'm right here sir", I called out to him, still frantically searching.

At the sound of my voice, his ears perked up, and he quickly turned towards. Upon spotting me, a relieved smile grew across his face.

He spoke with kindness," Hey, kid. How'd you sleep?"

I smiled back, slightly," Fine, thanks."

"That's good. Anyway, are you hungry?"

"Uh... yes sir."

He nodded," Alright then, let me get some breakfast for you."

"Thank you", I responded.

He smiled and turned back to me," And by the way, you don't have to call me _sir_. I'm not a drill sergeant."

I gave him a confused look," Uh... okay. What should I call you?"

"Just call me Nick"

"Is that your first name?"

"Yes"

Okay. So this fox's name was Nick. Good to know, I guess.

He was cooking something in a pan on the stove.

 _Hm. That smells like eggs._ I thought.

Wait. They have eggs here? Well okay then. I guessed that this place contained birds too at first, but now, I suppose it's only mammals.

Soon I heard more footsteps in the hallway, and Ms. Hopps drowsily emerged a few seconds later. She appeared to be quite tired. Well I guess that makes sense since I suppose she fell asleep at roughly 3:00 a.m. last night. Now that I think of it, I was still pretty tired myself.

Whatever. Might as well be up for the day.

 _ **Nick POV**_

Jacob sat on the couch as he waited patiently as I finished cooking the eggs. I set some on a plate and carried it over to him.

"Thank you", He uttered as I handed him the plate. I responded with a smile.

I walked over to my mate who was tired eyed, but still managed to keep a straight posture and a smile on her face.

"Good morning, Honey", She muttered as I approached her.

"Mornin' Carrots. Here.", I motioned to a plate with toast and a glass of carrot juice.

"Thanks, Nicky", She smiled as she accepted the food.

I grabbed myself some eggs and stood next to her as we ate. Jacob appeared to have already finished and brought his plate over to the sink, where he began to rinse and wash it.

I looked at him and surprise," Huh, that's unexpected. I don't know a whole lot of kids that clean up after themselves."

Jacob smiled at that notion and responded," Well, I was raised in a very wealthy family, so it's kind of a customary lifestyle to be polite, and even though we had maids and butlers and whatnot, me and my brother always picked up after ourselves."

I noticed at the notion of his family, he began to tear up, and one rolled down his cheek. I immediately padded over to him and put my paw on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"Don't worry, bud. We'll get you back to your family.", I soothed.

I spoke those words, not knowing if they were true or not.

I was on the verge of tears myself as the kid began to sob softly by Judy and I's kitchen counter. Tears began to roll down his face. I wrapped an arm around him and pulled him to me.

He suddenly shouted," That asshole!"

My eyes widened and I shifted my gaze to the _nine year old_ boy. He began to shake and broke down right there. Tears were flowing freely down his face. I stared at him in confusion.

I continued to hold him as I questioned," What is it? Is something wrong."

He aims his sight toward me, tears still in his eyes, and raised his voice," Yes! Everything is wrong!"

I kept my questioning gaze on him and squeezed him tighter," What is it?"

He paused for a moment before muttering," I...remember."

My eyes widened and continued," Remember? Remember what?"

He took a few shaky breaths before speaking quickly," Everything! I remember how I got here, I remember who did it, I remember why he did it!"

 _ **Jake POV**_

Oh my god! It's all coming back to me. Everything was flowing back into my head!

"What?! Can you tell us what happened?!", Nick was quickly throwing questions at me.

I directed my attention towards Ms. Hopps, who seemed to be shocked.

Then, she spoke as well, but softer than Nick," Can you tell us about it, Jacob?"

I nodded and replied," Yeah, but grab a chair or something because it's not exactly short."

Ms. Hopps grabbed a chair and sat down, listening intently, but Nick continued to hold me for comfort, which I was okay with, it actually felt kinda nice to have someone to comfort me. I took a deep breath.

"Okay, here it goes."

 _ **Jake POV (flashback)**_

I waited patiently in the hallway for Dad to finish.

He was taking an awfully long time just talking to a bunch of scientists. This should've gone quicker.

There was nobody in the hallways of the building but me, I was holding my favorite climbing pick. It was a gift from my brother, Reece, for my sixth birthday. I always expressed an interest in exploring and climbing the mountains that stand tall near our house, or it's more like a mansion.

I always loved climbing the mountains and exploring the caves scattered over the sides. I grew quite strong for my age and agile, due to all of the climbing and parkour I did regularly.

Reece was always the type of brother to do a lot for his sibling like spend time with me and get me stuff. He was nineteen years old, his twentieth birthday was in a week and I knew exactly what I was going to get him.

He and I had always been major rock fans. His favorite band was by a long shot FFDP (Five Finger Death Punch).

I had found a diamond in a cave I explored not too long ago, and I sold it. I got about one thousand, eight hundred dollars off of it. I used the money to buy a brand new red electric guitar. That cost about $500. I then had the guitar delivered to the band, asking if they would all sign it, along with a thousand dollars in cash. Then, about a week later, I got a package in the mail, and it was the guitar. I opened it up and saw that all of them had signed.

"Wow, I can't believe they actually signed", I said to myself as I looked at the guitar in awe.

Then, I noticed a small envelope. I picked it up and saw that all the money I had sent was inside, along with a note.

 _Dear Jacob,_

 _You don't need to pay for us to autograph a guitar. We'd sign shit for free any day. Anyway, enjoy the guitar._

 _Peace out,_ _FFDP_

I smiled widely at the not and the guitar. Reece was gonna love this.

 _Present..._

So yeah, that's how that happened.

I continued to blankly stare down the hallway of the research center. Everything was so quiet. It was almost as if my dad wasn't in a meeting with a bunch of scientists to discuss a new invention that would 'change the way everyone saw the world forever' as he put it. I honestly had no clue what the invention was, or what it did, but I guess if my dad explained it that way, it was probably something very important.

It's weird, though. Usually when Dad goes into meetings, he tells me every detail. The only times he doesn't is when the meeting is about something top-secret or government confidential or something like that. Granted, I think it was only one time before that there was something like this. I found out what the first one was though, it was a program that turned normal people into like some sort of perfect assassin. It hasn't had to be used yet, and Dad seems to be thankful for that. It was basically like a syringe that you injected into someone, and it gave them unbelievable skills.

Suddenly, I heard my dad raise his voice, then he yelled. It sounded like he was quite aggravated.

I quickly ran over to the door to the room my dad was in, and peeked inside.

My dad was yelling at the other four men, and one woman, in the room.

I made out what he was yelling clearly," What the fuck is this?! We can't use this fucking thing!"

One of the men, the one I knew as my dad's friend, Professor Maverick spoke up," Sir! This machine can revolutionize space travel. What is so bad about this."

My dad yelled in anger once again," The mechanisms in this machine are able to do what you say, I'm aware of this, but they can also be very catastrophic if used improperly!"

Professor Maverick continued," Yes sir, we are aware of this. It's just a few fixable bugs, _easily_ fixable bugs. The machine will be completely safe by the time we release it to NASA."

I peeked inside a little more to see what they were arguing about. I saw a small model of a pod-looking machine. It was a small model of the invention, and I assumed that it was some sort of space vessel.

My dad shook his head," I'm sorry Professor, but I can't give you the loan to produce this machine."

Professor Maverick kept a straight face, but I could tell that he was more than pissed off. He nodded his head and softly, and dangerously calmly spoke," Yes sir. Thank you for your time."

My dad nodded and turned to leave the room. I quickly scampered down the hall and sat down where I was when he went inside.

As he walked out, I aimed my gaze at him and smiled.

"Hi Dad! How was the meeting?", I asked, though I already knew the answer.

He shook his head solemnly and smiled back before replying," Fine, I guess. Ready to go?"

I nodded and he motioned for me to follow. We followed the path that we used to enter back through the halls of the research center. We soon ended up at the front entrance, exiting the building and making our way to the 2016 _Porsche 911 R_ in the parking lot. My dad owned many cars, and they were all very nice. He taught me to love cars as much as him at an early age. My mom thought it was odd for a nine year old to love cars and rock as much as I do.

My mom... right. My mom and dad were alike in many ways, but very different in regards to Reece and I. My dad loved me and my brother very much, and he liked to share his interests with us as well as let us express ours to him. He was always the parent that was... there for me. Like when I was little, my mom was never around much, and my dad was always busy, leaving Reece to be the one who took care of me most of the time. Though, almost every second of my dad's free time was spent with me and my brother. He was a very loving father. My mom, on the other hand, was never really there for me. She was always out doing stuff. I didn't know really, but I don't think she had a job. I think she was always out with her friends, drinking and doing drugs. I don't think she married my dad for love at all sometimes. I think that she just married him for his money. I grew up never really knowing what motherly love felt like, and it's hard to feel sad about it when my mother is a worthless bitch who doesn't give two fucks about her family. She probably hasn't even taken any notice in the fact that I'm gone yet. Whereas my dad is probably sending out his best man and maybe even going so far as to hire hitmen, which he has done before, to find me.

Honestly, if I had a bag of fucks toward whether I would see my mother again or not, none would be given.

My dad and I stepped into the car, and he started it, smiling at me as the engine revved.

"Whoooo! Listen to that purr!", I exclaimed, laughing.

Dad laughed too and began to pull out of the lot of the research center. I looked at the entrance to the building, and could've sworn I saw Professor Maverick glaring at my dad and I with hatred burning in his eyes, but It was a brief glance.

I began to get a little worried and was about to tell my dad, but figured it was nothing, and just shrugged it off.

"So, Jake, Recce's birthday is coming up. Any idea what you're gonna get him?", he questioned, still smiling warmly.

I turned my gaze to him and grinned mischievously," You could say I found a diamond, sold it, bought him a guitar, and then got it signed by the entire Five Finger Death Punch."

His eyes widened huge, and he began to chuckle," So, you've been busy huh?"

I nodded and continued grinning.

"How'd you find a diamond?"

My grinned widened as I told him the story," So I went climbing one day and made it to roughly half of the way up the mountain, and I saw a cave that had some really glossy rocks inside. I went inside and turned on my night vision. Almost instantly, a glint caught my eye and I walked over to it, and then I dislodged it, and sure enough, it was a beautiful looking diamond."

He nodded, clearly impressed," Well, it seems that your exploring is getting you somewhere good."

He continued to drive and smile, and I decided to question him about the meeting," So, what was that meeting about."

He shook his head and sighed," Ah, just some crazy contraption that can't be allowed to exist."

I looked at him confused and continued," Why not?"

"It's dangerous."

"How so?"

He sighed again while he gave his explanation," It's meant to be able to transverse from one point to another in space in only seconds, but the way it works is it travels through temporary worm holes that are created by the machine itself, but if one little thing goes wrong while travelling, you could end up in another fucking _universe_ or something."

I nodded, understanding, but in shock. Another _universe_? That didn't sound too good.

My dad wasn't afraid to curse in front of me when he was mad, in fact, it was the way he usually let people know he was agitated. So I figured he didn't want to talk about this, thus, I refrained from questioning further.

"Well that sucks", I simply said.

He looked confused," What? You think the fact that I refused to give them a loan sucks?"

I quickly re-worded my previous comment," No! No, Dad. What I meant was: it sucks that someone would make something like that, and I think you did the right thing by refusing."

His smile returned," I'm glad that you see things my way, son."

We sat in silence for the rest of the drive home, and I felt that it was going to be a good week.

 _One week later (one day before Reece's birthday)_

Tomorrow was the day, the day that I would give Reece the guitar that I just knew he would love. It would be good to repay him for the $1500 climbing pick he had custom-made for me all those years ago. Granted, my brother was the one who introduced me to climbing, I thought that the guitar would be much better.

A big dopey grin sat on my face as I sat on the floor in the living room.

Reece was out with dad, probably at a bar or a party or something. They left me here because I wasn't old enough to be at bars or parties or anything like that.

Suddenly, I heard the front door open, and I walked around the corner to see my mom walking in. She was smiling and laughing as she came in and stumbled a bit, as she was clearly drunk off her ass.

"Uh... hi Mom", I fumbled over my words at seeing her state.

She laughed and replied," Hi Jake! How's it going? Good? That's great! Listen, I forgot my purse before I left earlier, and my friends and I are going out of town for the weekend."

My eyes widened.

 _For the weekend?_ I questioned mentally.

I decided it was best to confront her directly about it.

I raised my voice way above it's normal level as I questioned," For the weekend?! THE WEEKEND?! Mom! It's Reece's twentieth fucking birthday tomorrow!"

I felt a little guilty for cursing to my mom, but I got that from my dad, so I didn't care at that moment.

"Yeah? So what? I've been to nineteen others, and he's got so much more ahead of him. It'll be fine.", She responded all too casually.

I stared at her in shock," Mom! Don't you care about us at all? You know what, I shouldn't even be asking, because I know you don't. All you ever do is go out with your stupid friends and drink and do drugs. You're never here, you're always gone. Why should I expect anything different."

Tears were streaming down my face now as I continued," You know what? Fine, go! Go get your purse and just fucking go, JUST LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO!"

My tears were flowing uncontrollably now. I ran up to my room and held my pick and the model cars my dad got me close.

 _At least most of this family actually cares about each other._ I thought sadly.

I couldn't stop the tears. My mother. My fucking mother was leaving for her son's twentieth birthday.

 _What do you get for your birthday? NO MOTHER! Happy birthday, Reece!_ I thought, only making my tears fall faster.

Then I decide to go back downstairs to see if she had gone yet. I made my way into the entrance just as my bother and dad walk in.

Reece speaks up first," Hey champ, what's up?"

I smiled at the sight of my dad and brother and replied," Well, would you like to hear the good or bad news first."

He smiled," Good, I guess."

I sighed," There isn't any. Pick again."

He chuckled with a hint of worry in his expression," Well then, bad."

I took a deep breath before breaking the news to them," Well, Mom... might've... left with her friends for the whole weekend."

Reece and Dad's eyes both widened in shock before they replied in unison," What?!"

I nodded somberly in confirmation. It was Thursday. Tomorrow was the start of the weekend for my mother, also Reece's birthday.

Dad placed his hands over his eyes before shouting," Fuck!"

I spoke up to get both of their attention," Well, anyway. We shouldn't let this ruin Reece's birthday."

They both looked at me and smiled, and my dad responded," You're right. Let's just enjoy it."

 _Recce's birthday..._

We were all outside, Reece and I staring in shock at the beautiful Mustang 1969 with the note on the driver's side that said 'For Reece' sitting on the driveway. Reece was a car-lover just like Dad and I, but he was in to vintage cars and things like that, so this was perfect for him.

Reece stared in my shock at the car some more until we heard chuckling behind us.

"You like it, I assume?"

We both whipped around to see dad laughing behind us.

Reece stammered," O-Oh... my... GOD, yes, I love it!"

Dad walked up behind us, continuing," I remember you telling me when you were sixteen that this was your dream car, so, here you go, son. Happy birthday."

Dad held his hand out, car key dangling in his grip. Reece put his hand under Dad's.

Dad smiled and dropped the key, and spoke again," Just be safe. Deal?"

He smiled wider than I ever though he could at the keys," Deal! Thank you so much, Dad."

He and Dad then embraced before Dad motioned to me," Jake also got you something that you'll really like."

He directs his gaze to me, smiling," Alright! What is it?"

I gesture for him to follow," Come with me."

He follows me into the house and into the living room. Then, I smiled at him and said," Close your eyes."

He closed them, smiling, awaiting his surprise.

I reach behind the couch that was up against the wall, and pulled out the gold-plated guitar case, which contained the gift. I opened the padded case right in front of Reece, smiling widely, before addressing him.

"Alright, open."

He opened his eyes and looked down at the object inside the case, and his eyes widened to their limits.

"Oh my god, Jake. I-Is that a...?", He trailed off staring at the guitar.

I smiled happily as I finished his question," ...fully Five Finger Death Punch autographed electric guitar? Why yes, yes it is."

He stared at the guitar, mouth agape. I could tell that he was in absolute shock.

He slowly grabbed the guitar and set it aside before kneeling down to my level and embracing me tightly.

"Oh... my... god. Thank you _so_ MUCH!," his voice rose as he got back up.

"Damn bud! How did you get this.", he questioned.

I replied honestly," I found a diamond, sold it, bought the guitar and case, and then delivered it to the band asking for it signed."

He continued to stare in awe," Wow, bud! You found a diamond? Did you find it in a cave?"

I nodded and he laughed," Wow, this is so thoughtful. thank you _so, so_ much."

I smiled," It's the least I could do for my big bro."

He then picked up the guitar gently and brought it upstairs to hang in his room.

As he was gone I heard Dad come in with a look of worry on his face. I looked back and saw him quickly rush over to me.

"Jake, I need you to come with me right now!", he spoke swiftly.

I obliged to his command and followed him as we hastily made our way upstairs and into his large office with a desk straight ahead of the entrance to the large room, right in front of the large window that had a great view of the beautiful mountains that weren't even three fourths of a mile from our home.

Dad speed walked to the safe that was just to the left of his desk, against the wall. He put in the combination and opened it up.

Then he pulled out a... _syringe_.

I backed up quickly questioning," Wh-What are you doing Dad?"

He makes sure that the syringe is not broken before sticking it into a jar of white liquid and filling the syringe halfway.

Dad then sets it all down, except for the syringe. He looks at me, and takes a step forward.

I repeat," Dad. What are you doing."

His look of concern deepens as he speaks," Son, listen. I need you to let me give this to you. It's very important. It won't sting one bit, I promise."

I back away a few steps, having been afraid of getting shots my whole life.

"I don't wanna, Dad. I'm not sick!"

He continues moving forward and attempting to soothe me," I know you don't wanna, Jake. This is very important though."

I continue backing away before I realize something: I've been leaping gaps in between ledges since I was six! One little shot wasn't gonna hurt me!

I take a deep breath and walk back towards my dad," Alright, fine."

He smiles with a sigh of relief," Okay, good. I'm glad you understand."

I approach him, and he puts one hand under my chin, and lifts it up, exposing my neck. He sticks the syringe in my jugular vein and I shudder. He injects the liquid into my system and pulls the needle out, causing me to shudder again. It felt weird, but, he was right, it didn't hurt.

He smiles again," Okay! So we're done here!"

I nod to him, smiling back.

Then, suddenly, I begin to feel dizzy. The feeling isn't there for long, but it's definitely noticeable. I then make my downstairs to go outside, thinking I just needed some fresh air.

I emerged outside and ran over to the field beside our house. I quickly drop to my knees upon entering the field.

My vision was starting to become blurry, and my skin felt all tingly. I became very light headed, and collapsed right there, in that field.

The world went dark, and the last thing I saw before passing out, was a man, approaching me, then reaching down, and grabbing me.

When I awoke, I could see that I was laying in a bed, darkness surrounding me, with only a spotlight shining down on me from above. In front of me, I saw something big, covered with a white sheet. I had no clue what was going on, so I decided to call for help.

"Hello? Is anyone out there? Where am I?", my calls were met with silence.

I lay there, on that bed for a few moments before I heard footsteps moving towards me. I tried to sit up, but I was restrained by my wrists and ankles.

Then, out of the darkness, _he_ walked up to the bed. It was unmistakable, Professor Maverick.

He smiled and spoke calmly," Hello, Jake. Nice to see you."

I stare at him, confused," What do you want? Where am I."

He shrugs," You're in my lab at the research center. Isn't it obvious?"

I shook my head, and he chuckled.

"As for what I want: I want to run just one more test on my perfectly 'safe' machine that your father refused to give me the loan to produce.", He explained, grinning.

I began to worry as I realized what he was talking about," You want me to be th-the... guinea pig?"

He laughed," Wow, you catch on quick, kid."

He turns around, walking over to the object under the sheet, and pulls it down, revealing a large pod-shaped vessel. He walks over to the control panel hooked up to the vessel and begins to adjust the settings of the invention.

He spoke to me again," So, I came up with this great idea of how to make faster space travel. A type of space travel that would open our exploration range to other solar systems, maybe even other _galaxies_ if the machine was strong enough... and your father, my _partner_ , my _friend_ , refused to give me the loan to manufacture. Think of all the things we could've learned!"

He slammed his hand down on a table, as he had been pacing while ranting about this.

He continued," We could've discovered alien life! But no, your father disregarded all of that because the machine was, quote: 'not safe enough'! Give me a fucking break!"

Upon finishing his rant he rested his face in his hands, groaning in frustration.

I decided to speak up," Well if he refused, then why do you have me here? Surely you could've just asked another for a loan."

He directed his gaze towards me and chuckled," I could've, you're right, _but where's the fun in that_?"

At that, my eyes widened, and he began walking towards me. I began to panic.

"NO! No, please don't do this!"

To no avail. He grabbed my restraints and let them loose. As soon as he did that, time seemed to slow down. I got out of the restraints and punched him as hard as I could in the stomach. He hunched over in pain.

I jumped off of the bed and ran to a table with tools set upon it. I grabbed a scalpel and lunged toward him, aiming for his throat. Suddenly, he brought an arm up, and caught me by my throat. He then grabbed the blade from me and tossed it to the side. I was panicking even worse now, struggling in his sturdy grip. He carried me by my throat over to the machine, and typed the combination to the door of the pod.

It opened up and he threw me inside. I coughed and sputtered, trying to catch my breath. I stood up and slammed myself into the door just as he closed and locked it.

"Don't do this! PLEASE!", I begged through the glass on the door, which I assumed was indestructible.

I then heard the machine activate and the air around me growing thinner.

"PLEASE, NO!", I shrieked as the world began moving.

Everything was all wavy now, and my vision was fading in and out. I could no longer talk, only scream in silence as the machine drained my voice. In fact, it began to drain me as well. I could feel my body beginning to feel very tired and shaky. My vision had begun to fade even more as I stumbled around in the pod.

I collapsed to the floor of the vessel, and looked up to see the world darkening around me until I looked out the window to see only black. I then found it hard to breathe as I stumbled and collapsed.

Everything went dark for the last time until I would find myself in a field on the outskirts of a city.

 ** _Nick POV (present)_**

I stared in absolute shock at Jacob.

The story was long and tiring, but I couldn't help but listen to the whole thing. I held Jake the whole time just in case he began to cry. At this point, he was just staring blankly ahead of him.

Then, tears started to flow down his cheeks, and I squeezed him again.

I attempted to soothe him," Hey, don't cry, bud. It's gonna be fine. I promise."

He was sobbing softly there," Look, just let it all out. I'm sure that this must be a lot to process at once."

He turned and embraced me. I turned around to see Judy, with tears coming off of her as well.

 _ **Judy POV**_

It was so heartbreaking to hear that story and to see Jacob's reaction to it.

He clearly missed his family, and we needed to make sure that he felt okay until we were able to get him back to them.

The story had lasted until about 1:00 p.m. and it was storming outside, ironically.

Suddenly, my phone rang, and I picked it up off of the counter to see Chief Bogo calling. I stared in confusion at the phone for a few seconds before I answered it.

"Hello?", I spoke to the other end.

He responded rather hastily," _Hello, Hopps. Good news, the research team just got back from their previous case. They solved it earlier than expected. We have them working on the kid's case as we speak._ "

I then began to smile as I replied," That's great, Chief. I'll inform them."

He grunts in acknowledgement," Alright, Hopps, I'll call you again as soon as we find anything out."

The line went dead, and I turned to Nick, who was gazing at me expectantly.

I explain the phone call," The research team got back early and are working on the case as we speak."

His expression brightened a bit and he responded," That's great news. Well, I guess we should kill some time."

He turned to Jake, who must've dosed off from Nick holding him.

"Hey, Jake."

He blinked open his eyes.

"Hm?"

Nick spoke softly," Would you like to go to the park?"

Jake sat up and replied," Yeah, sure."

Nick smiled and got up," Well then, let's go."

 _ **10:50 P.M...**_

I sat on our bed, waiting for Nick to get done in the shower, ready to go to sleep.

I had taken my shower before Nick, so I was very much relaxed and ready for bed. Jake seemed not so tired when he went to lay down on the couch. He seemed like he was deep in thought. Shrugging it off, I figured that he would go to sleep when he was ready.

I then heard a vibration on the nightstand beside the bed. I turned to see my phone ringing again.

I sighed and picked it up, wondering who would be calling right now. I glanced at the screen and saw that it was Chief Bogo. It took me no time at all to figure out that he must be calling about Jake's case.

I answered and hastily addressed," Hello? Chief?"

I heard him sigh, not out of anger or annoyance. No, there was something far more... untraceable, in his voice.

He seemed to hesitate before speaking," _Hello again, Hopps. I have some news that you... may not like._ "

My ears drooped and I replied," Uh... okay. Tell me, please."

He sighed again," _Hopps... it's about the kid and his case. Unfortunately, we seem to be unable to find out anything at the moment. The research team says that it may take many years to find even a shred of understanding for how it happened, or how we can reverse it."_

At the Chief's remark, I felt warm tears begin to roll down my face.

He continued somberly," _There is a strong possibility that this child may never return home. I'm so sorry, Hopps."_

 _ **Nick POV**_

I dry my fur hastily to get to my sweet bunny as soon as possible.

I look in the mirror after completely drying myself and see that my fur is fluffed up. I flat it down with my paws, and then shoot myself with double finger guns in the mirror.

I exit the bathroom to find a sobbing bunny on my bed. I quickly pad over to her and wrap my arms around her shaking body.

I look at her with soft eyes and question her," Carrots? Carrots, what's wrong?"

She opened her eyes and directed her gaze towards me.

"Oh, Nick... J-Jake might n-never get to g-go home and see h-his family again!"

I stare at her in shock. I then fell tears start to well up in my eyes as well.

I continue to interrogate her on the matter," How do you know that, Carrots?"

She replied very shakily this time," Ch-Chief B-B-Bogo told me!"

My intent stare softened immensely.

"Oh my god... Carrots, we have to do something", I utter with an extreme sorrow to my voice.

She keeps her gaze on me as she spoke," The only thing that I-I can think of that we can do to help him is to... _take care of him_ ourselves."

My expression changes completely," Wait... you mean... _adopt_ him?"

She nodded and I felt several different emotions course through me.

I speak with shock in my tone," Wow, Carrots. You really think that we would be able to parent him?"

She nodded again, a smile beginning to grow on her face.

I continue, my mood brightening as well," Huh, well I guess maybe it's worth a shot, right?"

Her smile grows and she speaks again," Come on, let's go see him."

Both of us got up and headed into the living room where Jake was already asleep on the couch.

We approached him and knelt down. I placed a paw on his shoulder, causing him to stir a little.

 _ **Judy POV**_

I walked up to Nick and knelt down next to Jake with him. I placed a paw on him as well.

I leaned up to his face and spoke softly into his ear.

"Don't worry. We'll take care of you. I promise."

* * *

 **Hallo again peoples.**

 **There you have it. Chapter 3 of _The Outcast_. So yes, I do have plans to take this story into some serious feels. But the problem with that is: a lot of those feels aren't going to be good feels. This story is going to get quite depressing quite fast. School, adolescence, tendencies a teenager might have (if you know what I'm talking about). But all of that is just setting up for the big part of the story. I'm not gonna be done with this one for a looooong time. **

**Anyway, something else I wanted to address. The relationship between Jake and his big brother, Reece, is actually based off of my relationship with my brother. Just like Reece, I am a _huge_ rock fan, and my favorite band by a long shot is Five Finger Death Punch. One year, on my twentieth birthday, my brother, who is one and a half years younger than me, told me to follow him into the living room, and he presented a red electric guitar to me, signed by the entire Five Finger Death Punch. The scene in which this happened went down _exactly_ like it did in the story, minus the car. The guitar is hanging on my bedroom wall in my own house now as I write this.**

 **Anyway, thank you so much for reading. I really hope you enjoyed. If you liked it enough, please follow/favorite the story as it encourages me so much, and it is greatly appreciated. Like always, thank you to those who have followed/** **favorited the story already. If you have any feedback for me at all, you can leave a review, all reviews are checked, noted, and greatly appreciated. Great thanks to those who have left feedback already, as you help me to become a better writer.**

 **My fingers are nothing but bloody stubs now, if you'll excuse me.**

 **OneHit, Out!**


	4. Chapter 4: Health

**Stale memes.**

 **Hey guys, I have not updated in a while for this story. But I hope you know that I'm working on two stories at the same time. So new chapter yay! The last chapter felt actually good. I felt good about myself after that chapter. Not like normally, when I feel uneasy to the bone about the way that I do everything. Say hello to the beginning of the end for your mentality.**

 **Thank you to the people who faved/followed the story and/or left a review, it really helps me out.**

 _ **Lupin here, your friendly wolf editor. I decided to help OneHit out and I will be editing the story from this point forward, so all you Grammar Nazis BRING IT! Anyways, on with the show!**_

 **Hope you guys like the chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

" _Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go, they merely determine where you start."_ -Nido Qubein

 **Chapter 4: Health**

 **Jake POV**

Nothing is expected, everything is accepted. Words to live by, words to cherish. If I ever had any words that got me through the day, it was those. I knew I couldn't control what my future held, but a few nights ago, my theory on that might've just been proven wrong. If that dream was true, and I really had chosen my own path, my own future. Then who knew what was coming?

My eyes opened to the light of the morning sun shining through the window. I sat up, rubbing my eyes and yawning. I took in my surroundings again, quickly remembering where I was, and groaned.

Today is the day, Monday. The day I might get a solution to get home. I really hoped that the research team was back so that they could begin their work on my case.

"Good morning", I shift around to see Nick walking into the kitchen.

"Hi", I replied.

He stared at me for a few moments, and for a second, I thought I saw a somewhat sad look in his eyes. I ignored this and continued the conversation.

"So, I guess we'll be going to the police station today, right?"

He chuckled, still with that slightly sad look in his eyes. He nodded and answered.

"Yeah, I guess we should talk about that, huh?"

I gave him a confused stare," Wait, what? What are you talking abou-"

"Good morning." I hear Judy speak as she emerges from the hallway. I decided to save my question for later.

"Hey"

She smiled upon seeing me. Then went to join Nick in the kitchen.

"So, how are you feeling today, Jake?" Judy asked from the kitchen.

"Great, I finally get to go home!" I replied excitedly.

They both just turned their backs towards me and started whispering about god knows what. I became a little anxious, thinking it was about me.

After a few minutes of whispering, they turned back towards me, both with sad looks on their faces.

"Jake, come over here", Nick said in a very serious tone.

I instantly became worried at that. I obliged, getting up and walking over to where they were. I stopped in front of Nick.

He sighed somberly and spoke," Jake, there's something we need to tell you."

My anxiety grew at that and all I could do was nod, showing him that I was paying attention.

Nick took a deep breath before continuing," Jake, we got a call from Chief Bogo two nights ago, and he told us that the research team had gotten back early."

My eyes widened, and my spirits rose again.

"Really?" I asked happily.

He nodded and began explaining again, "Yes, but the news that he had to share was far from good."

Instantly, my hopes died down and I felt that I already knew what he was going to say. I began to feel tears welling up in my eyes.

Nick himself looked to be fighting back the urge to break.

He started speaking again after a few moments, "He said that the research team could find... nothing, and had roughly a one percent chance of ever finding any way to get you back home... I am _so_ sorry, Jake."

My world went blurry and my vision started to fad in and out. All I could hear was my own heartbeat. Everything else was drowned out. It felt like I had overdosed on emotion. I felt so many different stimuli going through my body at once, and it was too much for me to take.

I just stood there for what felt like an eternity. Nick and Judy were talking, but I couldn't hear them, all I could do was gaze at the truly dark world around me.

My emotions were overwhelming me. I did the only thing that made sense... I ran.

I ran away from Nick and Judy. I ran to the door of their apartment, I down the stairs and into the lobby of the apartment building, and then I sprinted out the main entrance.

I continued to run. I heard Nick and Judy's voice call out to me from the apartment building, but I continued to run. I pushed past many pedestrians, and was almost hit by several cars. I didn't care, I just continued to run.

Eventually, I came upon an alley which looked deserted. I walked into the alley, and slumped against a wall.

After a few moments I heard footsteps approaching me. I glanced down the alley to see two wolves walking in my direction, probably just cutting through the alley. I just continued to sit there, thinking they would just pass.

"What the fuck?!" I heard one of them exclaim.

I turn to see both of them with looks of disgust on their faces. I quickly got up, and began walking in the opposite direction.

"Hey, you! Stop!" one yelled.

I turned around to see them coming my way. I backed up, getting ready to run.

Suddenly, one of them, a large gray wolf, lunged forward and grabbed me. He tackled me to the ground and growled in my face. He began to examine me.

"Pete!Yo, come here and look at this freak!", He yelled to his companion, who soon appeared right behind the wolf trapping me.

I struggled to get free of his grasp, but he was bigger, and stronger than me.

I began to cry out," Help! Please! Anyone!"

They laughed at this, and the one standing up kicked me in my side, causing me to recoil in pain. I groaned loudly, and tears began to flow down my cheeks. I then felt something wet crawl down my side.

Blood!

The wolf had kicked me with his clawed paws, and must've ripped a pretty bad gash in my side. I struggled harder, attempting to escape. Then, the wolf kicked me again and I recoiled. My eyes rested on a hardcover book for a split second, but time seemed to slow down, and I reached for the book, grabbing it with ease.

I brought the book to me, and time slowed even further. Before either of the wolves could react, I took the book, and jabbed it directly into the throat of the one pinning me. The wolf shot back and clutched his throat in pain. I quickly got up and began running, while clutching my own wound.

Then, I heard a loud _bang_ , and a hard thud on my back. Time slowed once again, as I was still trying to comprehend what had just happened.

My brain was travelling at one million miles an hour, until it finally rested on one conclusion.

 _I've been shot!_

I fell to the ground as my world began to fade out, I could only hear the sound of my own heartbeat.

I then, started to make out a few other noises. What sounded like yelling, two thuds, and then the sound of two bodies dropping to the ground. I heard faint pawsteps coming towards me.

I then felt two arms grab me, and pick me up gently. I looked up to see the blurry outline of a fox. My gaze traveled from him to the ground, where the two fading wolves lay, tranquilizer darts sticking out of them.

The last thing I heard before I passed out was Nick's faint voice.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine, we'll always be here for you, I promise."

Darkness.

 **Reece POV**

This is the worst shit I have ever had to go through... EVER!

My brother, my only sibling, gone. No trace of him. We've had the police looking for him for three fucking days, and you wanna know what they found? Nothing!

Worthless fucking police.

Nothing could be worse than this whole scene. Guess what you get for your birthday, Reece. Go on, guess. Ta-da! You get a car, a guitar, and a MISSING BROTHER!

Yay! Best fucking birthday, ever!

If I want anything to truly come of this search, then I'm gonna have to take matters into my own hands.

 **Nick POV**

A coma. Jake is in a coma.

The doctors said that he should wake up, but when? They don't know. All they said is that he should wake up within a month.

Judy and I figured that we should get the paperwork done for his citizenship before he wakes up. We also put in a request for adoption forms from City Hall. They said that we should have them when his citizenship goes through.

Right now, we were filling out the last bit of his citizenship paperwork, excited that we would soon be done. It had been two weeks since he had been shot. The two wolves were convicted of attempted murder, both serving a twenty year sentence. They found at the hospital that, not only had Jake been shot, but there was a hole ripped in his left side. They said that he was lucky to be alive.

Both Judy and I were very thankful he had survived. I don't think either of us would've been able to live with ourselves if he hadn't made it. I would've blamed myself for his death, and Judy would've blamed herself.

Judy was excited about getting the adoption papers, as was I, just not as expressive about it. She sat with Jake every day in the hopes that he might wake up, but for two weeks, two long, painful weeks, nothing. Not even a twitch.

I had just finished up with the paperwork, and was getting ready to head to City Hall.

"Are you going?" I heard Judy ask.

I turned back to her and smiled," Yeah, I've gotta turn this into City Hall. I'll be back before nine, I promise."

It was 6:33 p.m. at the time, and I needed to get going, so I quickly told Judy bye and hastily walked to our car. I unlocked it and opened the door, jumping inside and closing the door. I sped off towards City Hall.

 **Judy POV**

I sighed as I walked back to the room Jake was in. I wasn't gonna going to leave him. He needed someone with him to be there for when he woke up.

I approached the doorknob. Awaiting to see, what was more than likely gonna going to be, a still comatosed Jacob.

 **Jake POV**

I gasped as I opened my eyes, breathing heavily. A coughing fit soon overtook me, making me lean over. Upon doing this, I felt a sharp pain in my side and upper back. I quickly leaned back onto the bed I was in.

I took in my surroundings, for my brain to eventually conclude concluding that I was in a hospital room.

 _What happened? Why am I here?_ I asked myself.

It took a few moments, but eventually the memories from earlier today came flowing back, and it was too much for me to take.

I groaned loudly. I was beaten, I was shot, but to top it all off: I was told that I may never see my family again. Nothing worse could've happened today... well… except for _dying_ , I guess. I figured that, since I was in a hospital, I must still be alive.

I heard the door to my room open, and turned to see Judy walking in. She looked upset, I'm not sure why, but I figured it was about me.

She looked at me in the bed, and when she saw me, she instantly brightened up.

"Hey Jud-"

I started to greet her, but was cut off by her grabbing me in a tight hug. For a bunny, she sure was strong.

"Oh, Jake! I'm so glad you're okay. We were so worried about you. You were shot in the back, and you had a hole ripped in your side. For god's sake, you were in a coma for two weeks!" She continued to speak, but my mind paused at one point.

I stopped her ranting with my own question," Woah, woah! Back up. Did you say two weeks? I've been in a coma… for two weeks?!"

She looked up at me, still squeezing me tightly, and nodded. I was shocked, to say the least.

I sighed," Wow. That sucks. How bad were the injuries?"

Judy chuckled nervously, "Well, does the doctor saying that you were lucky to have lived explain it?"

That hit me harder than the bullet did, "You've gotta be kidding me!"

She shook her head.

I realized at that moment that I had been so careless when I went into that alley. I never considered that there could be criminals and bullies in the city that might hang out in the alley. What a bunch of scum. The world... well... both worlds would be a better place without filth like those wolves.

I wish there was a way to just... get rid of them all.

Judy and I just sat like that, talking about things that happened while I was out. Like that they got paperwork to make me an official citizen of Zootopia. We just continued to chat for a while, until we both heard the door to the hospital room open and both of our gazes snapped to the entrance.

"Judy, I got the forms-"

He trailed off as he saw me, wide awake. He gave a wide grin upon seeing me.

"Jake, thank god you're awake", he exclaimed before walking over to the bed and sitting on the edge.

He looked down at some papers he was holding in his paws before speaking again," Jake... uh... there's uh, something we want to ask you."

I nodded, "Shoot."

He and Judy looked at each other before Nick held the paper out for me to take.

I took the papers and saw a completely filled out adoption form. My eyes widened to their limits.

Nick then asked me a question that I already had an answer at the ready for.

"How would you feel about Judy and me, adopting you and becoming your legal guardians?"

 **Ey dudes/dudettes.**

 **So yay, yet another chapter of the story. I really hope everyone who read enjoyed. At this point, I'm not sure when the darkest of dark shit is gonna be incorporated, but it's coming. So be ready, and tread lightly from this point forward.**

 **Thank you once again to people who followed/favorited the story. All that are recieved are greatly apreciated. Any and every review is extremely helpful, mean or not, I really don't give a fuck, except for hate reviews, those are gonna be gone the second I see them. People who criticize and give feedback are extremely helpful to my writing, you don't have to be nice about it, you just have to make sure that there's actually something in the review that'll help my writing. Anyway, thanks for reading.**

 **If you'll excuse me, my cardboard fingers are beginning to slip off.**

 **OneHit, Out!**


	5. Announcement!

**Hello everyone!.**

 **Sorry about the lack of updates recently. Believe me, we will be starting to update more often in the near future. We're dealing with storyboarding, plotting, and such. That's not what this announcement is about, though.**

 **We are going to be starting a new story. It will be our first mainstream Zootopia story. If you are the type who likes mainstream, check out _The Shield_ when we put it up on the site. We both really appreciate the support we've been getting on both of our stories so far. If you like one of our stories more than the other, that is if you even read both of them, than the updates for each single story will be less frequent than before. Probably one update a week. The next update for The Outcast might be a while. Sorry to those of you who also read that one. Also, we're gonna start making chapters longer and more detailed. So we can put a bit more spice into the story.**

 **We apologize for the lack of recent update. It will be fixed soon. We promise.**

 **Thanks for understanding. We'll be more active soon.**

 **OneHit and Lupin, Out!**

 **UPDATE: The title of the new story has been changed to "Wilde Law".**


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